Margin setting mechanism



Jan. 1, 1963 R. FONDILLER MARGIN SETTING MECHANISM wv K ww m ww Nq wv 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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Filed June 3, 1960 Jan. 1, 1963 R. FONDILLER MARGIN SETTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 3, 1960 F/G. 8 La MMM/LM United States Patent O1 3,671,232 MARGIN SETIEN G MECHANISM Robert Fondiiier, 33 W. 63rd St., New York 23, NKY. Fiied .inne 3, 1960, Ser. No. 33,826 i1 Claims. (Cl. 197 63) This invention relates to the art of typewriters or the like, and more particularly to the margin setting mechanism thereof.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a margin setting mechanism for typewriters or t-he like employing movable carriages, which mechanism may readily be incorporated in a conventional typewriter with but little modification in the structure thereof, which has but few parts which may readily be fabricated at low cost and which are not likely to become deranged even with long use, and `which will permit both manual and automatic movement of the margin set members to desired positions with a relatively simple manipulation without likelihood of jamming of the margin set members, and will provide a visible indication of the position of the margin set member whether the latter is manually or automatically moved.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinfter described and more particularly recited in the claims.

in the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments `of the several features of the invention,

FIG. l is a back view of a typewriter incorporating the invention hereof, with conventional parts removed for clarity,

FiG. 2 is a top plan view taken along line 2 2 of FlG. l,

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3 3 of FIG. l,

FlG. 4 is a view taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a Vmargin set member,

FIG. 6 is a view of the margin set top,

FIG. 7 is a view of the margin set bottom,

FlG. 8 is a view taken along line 3 8 of FIG. l, and

FIG. 9 is a detail sectional view taken along line 9 9 of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the margin setting mechanism is illustratively shown incorporated in a typewriter of any conventional type, only the parts of which essential to an understanding of the invention being shown.

As shown in HG. 4, the platen 11 of the typewriter has associated therewith the conventional paper table 12 and paper pan 13, the upper edge of which may be connected to the lower edge of the paper table in conventional manner as at 14.

The platen 11 has the usual shaft 15 extending axially from each end, which rests in a recess 16 in associated end plates i7, 17', each of which has a lateral flange 18 at its lower edge secured as by screws 19 to the conventional carriage base 2.1 of the typewriter, said carriage base being slidably mounted by suitable ball bearings 22, for example, on a support 23 rigid with the base 24 of the typewriter.

Secured to each of the end plates 17, 17' at the rear Patented Jan. l, i963 ice edge thereof are securing anges 1 and extending laterally inward therefrom at right angles thereto are brackets 31 and 32, each having a finger 33, 34 rising from its upper edge.

Extending between the brackets 31, 32, as shown in FIG. l, and secured at each end thereto as by screws 3S is a flat margin rack 36, which is desirably rectangular in cross section and has teeth 37 along its lower edge, the margin rack 36 being positioned directly beneath the root ends of fingers 33, 34.

The margin rack 36 serves as the mount for a pair of margin setting members 41, 42. for the right and left margin, respectively.

As the margin setting members are substantially identical, only the former will be described in detail.

Thus, the margin setting member 41 desirably has two elements, i.e., a margin set top 43 and a margin set bottom da. As shown in FIGS. l6 and 7, the margin set top 43 comprises a substantially rectangular plate 4S,

having parallel ears 46 extending laterally outward there- 4from at right angles thereto. Each of the ears 46 has a vertical slot 47 therein of a length greater than the height of margin rack 36, and the thickness of the ears is such that the lower edge of the slots 47 may enter the space between adjacent pairs of teeth on the margin rack 36 as shown in FiG. 5.

The plate d5 has an indicating and actuating finger 48 rising vertically therefrom and a spring retaining finger 49 depends from the lower edge of plate 45, said finger at its lower end being bent outwardly, and then depending downwardly as shown in FIG. 8.

The margin set bottom 44 also comprises a substantially rectangular plate 53 having parallel ears 54 extending laterally outward therefrom at right angles thereto. Each of the ears 54 has a vertical slot 55 therein, of a length substantially equal to the height of the margin rack 36, the upper and lower edges of each slot 55 having an inwardly extending finger 57, 5S, the ends of the iingers 5S being bent downwardly as at 59 so as to avoid the possibility of catching in the teeth 37 of the margin rack 36.

The length of plate 53 is such Ithat it may be placed in juxtaposition with plate 4S, with the ears 54 thereof straddled by the ears 46 of plate i4 and with the slots 47, 55 in alignment.

The plate 53 has a depending arm 62 which has a spring retaining finger 63 extending outwardly therefrom and bent upwardly as shown so that it is aligned with the downwardly bent portion `of finger 49.

With the margin rack 36 extending through the aligned slots 47, 55 in said ears, and with a compression coil spring 65 positioned between finger 49 which extends through a slot 6i? in arm 62, and nger 63, the margin set top 43 will be urged upwardly so that the lower edges of slots 47 will enter the spaces between adjacent pairs of teeth 37 on margin rack 36 to lock the margin set member in fixed position. Since the fingers 57, 5S of plate 53 rest against the top and bottom of the margin rack 36, the margin set bottom 44 will not move vertically, but will be free to slide along the margin rack when the margin set top is released in the manner hereinafter described.

Means are provided normally to urge the margin set s 3 members 41, 42 toward the end plates 17, 17, respectively. To this end, as shown in FIG. l, an elongated coil spring 66, 66 is provided for margin set members 41, 42,\fixed at one end thereto, as at 67, and at its other end, as at 68, to the associated bracket 32, 31 to exert tension on the associated margin set members 41, 42.

Means are provided to effect downward movement of the margin set top 43 to permit automatic movement thereof by the-associated coil spring 66, 66.

To this end, a pair of release levers 71, 72 is provided, each comprising an elongated bar, pivoted at one end, as at 73, 73', to the upper end of the finger 34, 33 of bracket v32, 31 and extending in substantially a horizontal plane to nearly the other bracket, the free end of each release lever 71, 72 having an upstanding actuating linger 75, 76. As shown in FIG. 2, the pivoted end 73 of lever 72 is displaced away from finger 33 as by a washer 74, so that the two release levers will extend in substantially side by side relation to permit independent movement thereof.

Each of the release levers 71, 72 is adapted to rest on the upper edges of the ears 46 of the margin set top 48 of the associated margin set member 41, 42, from the actuating finger 75, 76 thereof to substantially the center of the release levers 71, '72 thereof. An abutment 77 depends from the lower edge of each release lever 71, 72 near the center thereof, the portion of the lever from the abutment to the pivot 73, 73 thereof being of reduced thickness as at 78 so as to be clear of the ears 46 of the other margin set member.

As shown in FIG. l, an abutment 80 extends inwardly from each of the brackets 31, 32 in the path of movement of the free end of each of the release levers to limit their downward movement.

Means are provided to restrain movement of the carriage, based upon the position of the margin set members 41, 42 when the carriage is moved to the left or to the right.

To this end, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a bracket 81 is secured to the base 24 of the typewriter, midway between the ends of the carriage base support 23. The bracket is conformed to define a socket 82 extending transversely of the typewriter, which slidably mounts a plunger 83 normally spring-urged so that one end thereof will project outwardly from the socket into the path of movement of the lower ends 85, 86 of arms 62 of the margin set members 41, 42.

As the mechanism for actuating the plunger 83 to retract the latter may be of any suitable type, such as the-linkage associated with the margin release key of a conventional typewriter, it will not be described.

As shown in'FIG. l, the end of arms 62 of the margin set members 41, 42 also has a curved surface 87 which will cam the plunger 83 inwardly with movement of the carriage to per-mit return movement of the carriage.

The margin set members 41, 42 may be set manually by merely pressing down on the associated actuating linger 48 against the tension of coil spring 65. As a result, the lower edge of slots 47 will be moved clear of the teeth l37 of margin rack 36 so that the margin set member 41, 42 may be moved to the left or right to the desired position of the margin.

Sliding movement of the margin set member is facilitated by the fingers 57, 58 of the margin set bottom 44 which will permit the latter to slide along the margin rack 36, and upon release of pressure on the actuating fingerv 48 the coil spring 65 will urge the margin set top 43 upwardly so that the teeth 37 on margin rack 36 will be engaged by the lower edges of slots 47 to retain the margin set member 41, 42 in position.

Thus, when the typewriter carriage is moved to the right or left, referring to FIG. l, the lower ends 85, 86 of members 41 and 42 will abut against the retractable plunger 83 to `restrain further movement of the carriage.

To set themargin automatically, it is merely necessary to move the carriage first to one side of the typewriter so that the location of one of the desired side margins is aligned with the plunger 83 and press, say, the finger 75 to pivot the release lever 71. As a result of the pressure against the ears 46 of margin set top 43, the latter will be moved downwardly and, as previously described, the lower ends of the slots 47 thereof will be moved clear of the teeth 37. With the finger 75 still depressed and the teeth on margin rack 36 cleared, the coil spring 66 will be free to move the margin set member 41 to the right from the position shown in FIG. l (or to the left with respect to the front of the typewriter) until the end 85 of arm 62 abuts against plunger 83 to restrain further movement of the margin set member. Thereupon, pressure on finger 75 is released by the typist, and due to the force exerted by spring 65 the margin set top 43 wil-l be moved upwardly to the locked position.

By reason of the abutments 80, downward movement of each release lever is limited to prevent binding of the associated margin set member so that it is free to move along the margin rack.

The same procedure is followed to position the other margin set member.

Due to `the fact that the margin set Vbottom 44 is restrained from cocking by the fingers 57, 58, automatic movement of the margin set members 41, 42 when the fingers 75, 76 are pressed will occur without possibility of jamming.

As the hand-actuating fingers 48 of the margin set members extend above ythe platen 11 and are clearly visible, the typist can accurately determine the location of the margin, even when the latter has been automatically set.

The mechanism above described thus combines all of the advantages of a hand-set margin mechanism and an automatic-set margin mechanism in a relatively simple assembly.

As many changes could be made in .the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, i-t is intended that all matter contained in the albove description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a typewriter or the like having a base and a carriage slidably mounted thereon, margin setting mechanism comprising a margin rack having teeth along its lower edge extending longitudinally of the typewriter and rigidly secured with respect to said carriage, margin set means slidably mounted on said margin rack, margin rack teeth engaging means carried by said margin set means and movable into and out of engagement with said teeth, resilient means normally urging said engaging means into engagement with said teeth, a stop mounted on said `base in fixed position. thereon, said margin set means having an arm rigid therewith adapted to abut against said stop to limit movement of said carriage, a second resilient means reacting against said margin set means to urge the latter along said margin rack, movement of said margin set means being restrained by the engagement of the engaging means with said teeth, visible hand-operable means rising from and carried by said margin set means and operatively connected to said engaging means, whereby actuation of said hand operable means against the force exerted by said first resilient means wiil move the engaging means out of engagement with said teeth to permit sliding movement of the margin set means along said margin rack, means independent of said margin set means and operatively connected to said engaging means to effect movement of the latter out of engagement with said teeth, whereby said second resilient means will automatically slide the margin set means along the margin rack until said arm engages said stop, and said means independent of said margin set means including an elongated lever bar pivoted at one end to said carriage and extending in a plane substantially parallel to the margin rack and above the latter, a portion of the length of said lever bar `from the free end thereof to substantially the center thereof being adapted to react against said teeth engaging means when said lever bar is pivoted downwardly against the counter force exerted by said first resilient means, whereby said engaging means will be moved clear of the teeth on said margin rack for automatic movement of said margin set means by said second resilient means.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which means are provided `to limit the pivotal movement of said lever bar to prevent binding of the margin set means on said margin rack.

3. The combination set forth in claim l in which said lever bar has a projection depending therefrom substantially midway fbetween its ends and said margin set means is adapted to abut against said projection to limit the movement of said margin set means along said margin rack.

4. In a typewriter or the like having a base and a carriage slidably mounted thereon, margin setting mechanism comprising a margin rack having teeth along its lower edge extending longitudinally of the typewriter and rigidly secured with respect to said carriage, margin set means slidably mounted on said margin rack, margin rack teeth engaging means carried by said margin set means and movable into and out of engagement with said teeth, resilient means normally urging said engaging means into engagement with said teeth, a stop mountedon said base in fixed position thereon, said margin set means having an arm rigid therewith adapted to abut against said stop to limit movement of said carriage, a second resilient means reacting against said margin set means to urge the latter along said margin rack, movement of said margin set means being restrained by the engagement of `the engaging means with said teeth, visible hand-operable means rising from and carried by said margin set means and operatively connected to said engaging means, whereby actuation of said handoperable means against the force exerted by said first resilient means will move the engaging means out of engagement with said teeth to permit sliding movement of the margin set means along said margin rack, means independent of said margin set means and operatively connected to said engaging means 4to effect movement of the latter out of engagement with said teeth, whereby said second resilient means will automatically slide the margin set means along the margin rack until said arm engages said stop, a pair of substantially identical margin set means slidably mounted on said margin rack, and a second resilient means operatively connected to each margin set means to urge the latter in opposite directions along said margin rack, the arms of the respective margin set means abutting against opposite sides of said stop, the means independent of said margin set means comprising a pair of elongated lever bars, each pivoted at one end to opposite ends of said carriage and both extending toward the other end `of `the carriage, respectively, in a plane substantially parallel to the margin rack and above the latter, a portion of the length of each lever bar from the .free end thereof to substantially the center thereof being adapted to react against the teeth engaging means of the associated margin set means when the lever bar is pivoted downwardly against the counter force exerted by said first resilient means, whereby said engaging means will be moved clear of the teeth on said margin rack for automatic movement of said margin set means by said second resilient means.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which the free end of each lever bar has an actuating portion.

6. In a typewriter or the like having a base and a carriage slidably mounted thereon, margin setting mechanism comprising a margin rack having teeth along its lower edge extending longitudinally of the typewriter and rigidly secured with respect to said carriage, margin set means slidably mounted on said margin rack, margin rack teeth engaging means carried by said margin set means and movable into and out of engagement with said teeth, resilient means normally urging said engaging means into engagement with said teeth, a stop mounted on said base in fixed position thereon, said margin set means having an arm rigid therewith adapted to abut against said stop to limit movement of said carriage, a second resilient means reacting against said. margin set means to urge the latter along said margin rack, move ment of said margin set means being restrained by the engagement of the engaging means with said teeth, visible hand-operable means rising from and carried by said margin set means and operatively connected to said engaging means, whereby actuation of said hand-operable means against the force exerted by said first resilient means will move the engaging means out of engagement with said teeth to permit sliding movement of the margin set means along said margin rack, and means independent of said margin set means and operatively connected to said engaging means to effect movement of the latter out of engagement with said teeth, whereby said second resilient means will automatically slide the margin set means along the margin rack until said arm engages said stop, said margin set means comprising a margin set top and a margin set bottom, said margin set top having a pair of spaced parallel ears extending outwardly therefrom at right angles thereto, each with an elongated slot of a lengLi greater than the width of said margin rack, said margin set bottom having a pair of spaced parallel ears extending outwardly therefrom at right angles thereto, each with an elongated slot of a length substantially equal to the width of said margin rack, the ears on said margin set top being spaced sufiiciently to straddle the ears on said margin set bottom, said margin rack extending through the slots in said ears for slidable mount of said margin set top and bottom on said margin rack, said first resilient means being operatively connected `to said margin set bottom and margin set top to urge the latter in a direction for engagement by said engaging means with the teeth on said margin rack.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the hand-operable means comprises an upstanding finger rigid with said margin set top and said arm is rigid with said margin set bottom and depends therefrom.

8. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the upper end and lower end of each of the slots in the ears of said margin set bottom has an inwardly extending finger which extends parallel to the upper and lower edges of said margin rack and adjacent thereto to prevent tilting of said margin set means under the tension of said second resilient means.

9. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which one end of said second resilient means is secured to said margin set means, and the other end is secured to the carriage of said typewriter.

l0. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the means independent of saidA margin set means comprises an elongated release lever pivoted at one end to said carriage and extending in a plane substantially parallel to the margin rack, a portion of the length of said release lever from the free end thereof to substantially the center thereof being adapted to react against the upper edges of the ears of said margin set top when said release lever is pivoted downwardly against the counter force exerted by said iirst resilient means, whereby the lower ends of the slots in said ears will be moved clear of the teeth on said margin rack for automatic movement of said margin set means by said second resilient means.

1l. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which spring retainers and normally urging said margin set top in teeth engaging direction.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kittel Ian. 21, 19,41 Walker et al Sept. 15, 1942 Barkdoll June 10, 1952 

1. IN A TYPEWRITER OR THE LIKE HAVING A BASE AND A CARRIAGE SLIDABLY MOUNTED THEREON, MARGIN SETTING MECHANISM COMPRISING A MARGIN RACK HAVING TEETH ALONG ITS LOWER EDGE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE TYPEWRITER AND RIGIDLY SECURED WITH RESPECT TO SAID CARRIAGE, MARGIN SET MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID MARGIN RACK, MARGIN RACK TEETH ENGAGING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID MARGIN SET MEANS AND MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TEETH, RESILIENT MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID ENGAGING MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TEETH, A STOP MOUNTED ON SAID BASE IN FIXED POSITION THEREON, SAID MARGIN SET MEANS HAVING AN ARM RIGID THEREWITH ADAPTED TO ABUT AGAINST SAID STOP TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, A SECOND RESILIENT MEANS REACTING AGAINST SAID MARGIN SET MEANS TO URGE THE LATTER ALONG SAID MARGIN RACK, MOVEMENT OF SAID MARGIN SET MEANS BEING RESTRAINED BY THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE ENGAGING MEANS WITH SAID TEETH, VISIBLE HAND-OPERABLE MEANS RISING FROM AND CARRIED BY SAID MARGIN SET MEANS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ENGAGING MEANS, WHEREBY ACTUATION OF SAID HAND OPERABLE MEANS AGAINST THE FORCE EXERTED BY SAID FIRST RESILIENT MEANS WILL MOVE THE ENGAGING MEANS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TEETH TO PERMIT SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE MARGIN SET MEANS ALONG SAID MARGIN RACK, MEANS INDEPENDENT OF SAID MARGIN SET MEANS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ENGAGING MEANS TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TEETH, WHEREBY SAID SECOND RESILIENT MEANS WILL AUTOMATICALLY SLIDE THE MARGIN SET MEANS ALONG THE MARGIN RACK UNTIL SAID ARM ENGAGES SAID STOP, AND SAID MEANS INDEPENDENT OF SAID MARGIN SET MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED LEVER BAR PIVOTED AT ONE END TO SAID CARRIAGE AND EXTENDING IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE MARGIN RACK AND ABOVE THE LATTER, A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID LEVER BAR FROM THE FREE END THEREOF TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER THEREOF BEING ADAPTED TO REACT AGAINST SAID TEETH ENGAGING MEANS WHEN SAID LEVER BAR IS PIVOTED DOWNWARDLY AGAINST THE COUNTER FORCE EXERTED BY SAID FIRST RESILIENT MEANS, WHEREBY SAID ENGAGING MEANS WILL BE MOVED CLEAR OF THE TEETH ON SAID MARGIN RACK FOR AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT OF SAID MARGIN SET MEANS BY SAID SECOND RESILIENT MEANS. 